Šipkovica

Šipkovica

Šipkovica is a small village near Tetovo, situated at the border with Kosovo. Here Ali Ahmeti, the current leader of the Albanian political party in Macedonia DUI and commander of the former Macedonian UÇK (“Ushtria Çlirimtare Kombëtare”, or National Liberation Army – NLA), which fought for equal rights for the ethnic Albanian minority during the 2001 armed insurgency in Macedonia, set up his headquarters.
The conflct began in January 2001 and Šipkovica have already been controlled since March 2001 by the UÇK. The Macedonian army soon attacked the NLA, although demonstrating a crass level of military incapacity – the fie set light to the several houses and agricultural buildings – and driving the local population to support the rebels.

My interlocutor was in the end pretty frank exclaiming that: „This is Albania (pointing towards Macedonia), that is Albania (pointing to Kosovo over the hills) and that is Albania (Albania proper). How could they (The Macedonians) tell us what to do?!“
Slađan, M.A. Student U Belgrade